Thill-coupling.



PATBNTED JUNE 28, 1904.

L. J. DILLON.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

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PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

-L. J. DILLON.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Patented June 28, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LYBRAN J. DILLON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER B. SHAW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,734, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed 'annary 9, 1903. SeriahNo. 138,34=0. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYBRAN J. DILLON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to antirattling thillcouplings; and its object is to provide a thillcoupling the headless bolt of which can be easily inserted or removed and when once inserted is securely retained in position against the possibility of longitudinal displacement while in use; and a further object is to automatically compress the cushion of rubber or other suitable material when the thills are coupled and in position for use. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a separate perspective view of the upper bar of the coupling. Fig. 4 is a separate perspective view of the lever of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 6 isa longitudinal central section thereof, showing the parts thereof closed so as to lock the thill-bolt in place. Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the said parts opened, so as to permit the thill-bolt to be moved. Fig. 8 is a plan view. Fig. 9 is a front end view.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a clip-bar which is adapted to pass transversely under and be secured to the forward axle of a vehicle by means of a clipA in the usual manner. The forward end of this bar is made wider, so as to provide a head B, which has two corresponding lugs b b projecting forward from it in the same longitudinal planes as its sides, the depth of which extends from the horizontal plane of the upper surface of said bar to a suitable point below the plane of the under surface thereof.

C represents a lever the rear portion of which is adapted to close fiat up against the under side of bar A and is of such design that when in this position its side edges are bounded by the same vertical planes as the sideedges of the bar A. Its rear end, however, extends slightly beyond the adjacent end of bar A and is curved downward to provide a handle to swing said lever downward. The forward end of lever C is slightly wider than its rear portion and is provided with corresponding forwardly-projecting lugs 00, the vertical dimensions of which are substantially the same as lugs I) 6, between which they are placed and to which they are pivoted or fulcrumed by pins a a, the transverse plane of which is located near the crotch of lugs 6. Lugs c c are provided with bearings cl d near their ends for the headless thill-bolt D, and when lever C is closed up against bar A this thill-bolt cannot be moved longitudinally, because of lugs I) b lappingagainst and closing the outerends of bearings 03 (Z, in which the ends of the thillbolt are journaled.

In order to lock lever C to bar A when these parts are closed together, and thus insure the permanency of the thill-coupling against accidental di'slodgment, I provide bar A with a central elongated opening a of sufficient length to include the openings through which ends of the clip pass, and about midway between said clip ends I slightly increase the width of the opening and provide the forward ends of this widened portion to make shoulders E. I also provide the portion of the lever C coming in contact with bar A under the axle with a longitudinally-elongated opening f, which is of such length and width that when the lever is closed against the bar the nuts 0 0 on the end of the clip are inclosed in said opening and prevented from loosening thereon. At about the center of length of this opening f, almost immediately under shoulders E, I pivot, by means of a suitable transverse pin, a dog F. The upper end of this dog extends up into the widened portion of opening e of bar A and has laterally-projecting ears 9 g, which are adapted to engage shoulders E, and the part of the dog below its pivot extends down below lever C and is engaged by a suitable spring G, that keeps the upper end of the dog pressed forward as far as the cross-bar 71/, bridging the opening f in lever (J, will permit. Thus when the lever is swung upward against bar A the ears of dog F will snap over shoulders E and lock these two parts together.

In order to prevent the coupling from rattling, I place between the knuckle of the thill :13 of the shaftX and the crotch of thelugs 0 c a suitable block of rubber or other elastic material it, and in order to assist in the compression of this block I pivot between lugs 0, near the heels of the same adjacent to their crotch, a plate H. This plate H inclines forward from its pivot by reason of the contact its lower edge has with the crotch of said lugs c, and its upper rear edge, which preferably does not extend above the plane of the upper edge of said lugs, is beveled. In operation when lever U is swung downward the expansion of block it automatically swings plateH back to the limits of its rearward movement. When, however, said lever is moved upward, the bevel of the upper edge of plate H, coming in contact with the crotch of lugs b of head B, forces said plate forward and compresses block it against the knuckle of the thill and effectually prevents rattling.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings I show a modified construction of my invention. In this design the body of the bar 2 and of the lever 3 and the spring-actuated dog 4 for locking them together are substantially the same as bar A, lever C, and dog F of the first-described construction. In this modification, however, the head 5 of bar 2 is relatively narrower, and the corresponding lugs 6 6, projecting forward therefrom, have bearings 7 therein for the ends of the headless bolt 8, and the head 9 of the lever 3 is relatively wider, and its lugs 10 1O lap against the outside of lugs 6 6 and when lever 3 is closed and locked against bar 2 lap against and close the outside openings of bearings 7 in lugs 6. In this latter design of the coupling I have omitted the compression-plate H, and in order to avoid rattling just seat a suitable cushion on the shelf 12, which projects forward from the lower edge of the crotch of lugs 6 6. Substantially this same construction could be adopted for retaining the elastic block it in place in the coupling shown in the first four figures of the drawings. One of the advantages of this last-described design of my improved coupling is that where it is desired to unfasten and disconnect the thill one does not have to lift the weight of the thill when moving the lever downward, as in the first-mentioned construction.

hat I claim as new is- 1. A thill-coupling comprising two parts consisting of a stationary bar suitably secured to an axle having lugs projecting from its forward end; and a lever, pivotally connected thereto near its forward end, provided with forwardly-projecting lugs; the lugs of one of said parts adapted to lap against the lugs of the other part, and the inner lugs having bearings therein the outer ends of which are adapted to be closed when the outer lugs are lapped against the same; and a bolt, the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

2. A thill-coupling comprising two parts consisting of a stationary bar suitably secured to an axle having lugs projecting from its forward end; and a lever, pivotally connected thereto near its forward end, provided with forwardly-projecting lugs; the lugs of one of said parts adapted to lap against the lugs of the other part, and the inner lugs having bearings therein the outer ends of which are adapted to be closed when the outer lugs are lapped against the same; a bolt, the ends of which are journaled in said bearings; and means for locking said lever to said bar when the same are in the same parallel plane.

3. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar suitably secured to an axle having lugs projecting from its forward end, and a lever pivotally connected thereto near its forward end, the width of the forward end of one of said parts being sufliciently wide so that its lugs lap against the outer surfaces of the lugs of the other part, which latter have suitable bearings therein, and a dog pivoted in the longer rear branch of the lever and engaging said bar, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

4:. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar suitably secured to an axle having lugs projecting from its forward end, and a lever pivotally connected thereto near its forward end, the width of the forward end of one of said parts being sufficiently wide so that its lugs lap against the outer surfaces of the lugs of the other part, which latter have suitable bearings therein, and a spring-actuated dog pivoted in the longer rear branch of the lever and engaging said bar, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

5. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having a longitudinally-elongated opening therein the side walls of which about its cen ter of length are provided with shoulders, and provided with lugs projecting from their forward end, a lever pivotally connected thereto near its forward end which terminates in forwardly-projecting lugs, and which is provided with a longitudinallyelongated opening in its rear portion, and a dog pivoted to said lever at about the center of length of the elongated opening therein; the distance between the lugs of one of said parts being greater than that between the lugs of the other, and when said lever is parallel with said bar lapping against the outer surface of the inner lugs, which latter have bearings therein and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

6. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having lugs projecting from its forward end, a lever pivoted thereto near its forward end from which it has lugs projecting that have bearings therein; the lugs of said bar being separated farther apart than the lugs of said lever, and adapted to lap against the outer sides thereof and close said bearings, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

7. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having lugs projecting from its forward end, a lever pivoted thereto near its forward end from which it has lugs projecting that have bearings therein; the lugs of said bar being separated farther apart than the lugs of said lever, and adapted to lap against the outer sides thereof and close said bearings, means carried by said lever for looking it to said bar when parallel thereto, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

8. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having lugs projecting from its forward end, a lever pivoted thereto near its forward end from which it has lugs projecting that have bearings therein; the lugs of said bar being separated farther apart than the lugs of said lever, and adapted to lap against the outer sides thereof and close said bearings, and a dog pivoted in the longer rear branch of the lever and engaging said bar, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearlngs.

9. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having lugs projecting from its forward end, a lever pivoted thereto near its forward end from which it.has lugs projecting that have bearings therein, the lugs of said bar being separated farther apart than the lugs of said lever, and adapted to lap against the outer sides thereof, a pressure-plate pivoted between the lugs of said lever next the crotch thereof, and adapted, when said bar and lever are parallel, to press forward, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings.

10. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar suitably secured to an axle having lugs projecting from its forward end, and a lever pivotally connected thereto near its forward end, the forward end of one of said parts being sufficiently wide so that its lugs lap against the outer surfaces of the lugs of the other part, which latter have suitable bearings therein, and a headless bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings which are adapted to be closed when the outer lugs are lapped against the inner lugs.

1 1. A thill-coupling comprising a stationary bar having lugs projecting from its forward end, a lever pivoted thereto near its forward end from which it has lugs projecting that have bearings therein; the lugs of said bar being separated farther apart than the lugs of said lever, and adapted to lap against the outer sidesthereof, and a bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings, and a headless bolt the ends of which are journaled in said bearings which are adapted to be closed when the outer lugs are lapped against the inner lugs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of October, 1902.

' LYBRAN J. DILLON.

Witnesses:

E. K. LUNDY, WILLIAM H. JoHNsoN. 

